Job 7:1-11

1 »¿No es toda la vida humana una lucha?
Nuestra vida es como la de un jornalero,

2 como la de un trabajador que anhela estar bajo la sombra,
como la de un sirviente que espera cobrar su sueldo.

3 A mí también me ha tocado vivir meses en vano,
largas y pesadas noches de miseria.

4 Tumbado en la cama, pienso: “¿Cuándo llegará la mañana?”;
pero la noche se alarga y doy vueltas hasta el amanecer.

5 Mi cuerpo está cubierto de gusanos y de costras;
se me abre la piel y supura pus.

6 Job clama a Dios
»Mis días pasan más rápido que la lanzadera de un telar
y terminan sin esperanza.

7 Oh, Dios, recuerda que mi vida es apenas un suspiro,
y nunca más volveré a ser feliz.

8 Ahora me ves, pero no será por mucho tiempo;
me buscarás, pero ya me habré ido.

9 Así como las nubes se disipan y se desvanecen,
los que mueren
ya no volverán.

10 Se han ido de su hogar para siempre
y jamás volverán a verlos.

11 »No puedo evitar hablar;
debo expresar mi angustia.
Mi alma llena de amargura debe quejarse.

Job 7:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 7

In this chapter Job goes on to defend himself in an address to God; as that he had reason to complain of his extraordinary afflictions, and wish for death; by observing the common case of mankind, which he illustrates by that of an hireling, Job 7:1; and justifies his eager desire of death by the servant and hireling; the one earnestly desiring the shadow, and the other the reward of his work, Job 7:2; by representing his present state as exceeding deplorable, even worse than that of the servant and hireling, since they had rest at night, when he had none, and were free from pain, whereas he was not, Job 7:3-5; by taking notice of the swiftness and shortness of his days, in which he had no hope of enjoying any good, Job 7:6,7; and so thought his case hard; and the rather, since after death he could enjoy no temporal good: and therefore to be deprived of it while living gave him just reason of complaint, Job 7:8-11; and then he expostulates with God for setting such a strict watch upon him; giving him no ease night nor day, but terrifying him with dreams and visions, which made life disagreeable to him, and death more eligible than that, Job 7:12-16; and represents man as unworthy of the divine regard, and below his notice to bestow favours on him, or to chastise him for doing amiss, Job 7:17,18; and admitting that he himself had sinned, yet he should forgive his iniquity, and not bear so hard upon him, and follow him with one affliction after another without intermission, and make him the butt of his arrows; but should spare him and let him alone, or however take him out of the world, Job 7:19-21.